


Three Simple Rules

by broken_hearted_bard



Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Through Season Three, Dark!Phoebe, Dark!Prue, F/F, F/M, Gen, Light!Paige, Major Character Death - Piper, Major Character Death - Reference Only, Piper is dead instead of Prue, The Source never wanted Phoebe dead (slight canon divergence), Using magic for personal gain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-06-20 05:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15527208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broken_hearted_bard/pseuds/broken_hearted_bard
Summary: 1) Harm None, 2) Tell No One, 3) Save Innocents.But, what happens when the sisters throw out the rules?When Piper dies at the end of Season Three (instead of Prue), what ways will their lives diverge, now that they're no longer the Charmed Ones?





	1. In The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> After Piper's funeral, they saved Paige. Instead of accepting Paige into their lives, like in canon, the women go their separate ways. Phoebe went back to Cole and Prue is on a one-woman mission -- regardless of the rules or the consequences. Paige is more interested in her White-Lighter half than in her witch half.
> 
> *Cole is still half-demon, and there was no need to save Phoebe from the Source (the only S3 canon divergence is that the Source didn't tell that bodyguard guy to kill her).
> 
> **Cole and Phoebe are married.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six Months After Piper's death.  
> Phoebe meets with Leo. Leo talks to Prue. Leo talks to Paige.
> 
>  
> 
> ***In S8 canon the Manor has 4 bedrooms on the second floor (Wikia).  
> **2 and a half bathrooms, 1/2 bath downstairs (under the stairs), two upstairs (one attached to the master-bedroom).

**Six Months After The End of Season Three**

Phoebe shimmered onto the very top of the Golden Gate Bridge and stared out into the mist, miles above the city. It was peaceful up here, and allowed her to think more clearly. After a few minutes, she turned and looked up at the sky.

"Leo! Leo!" she shouted. "I know you can hear me! I know you aren't happy with me, but I'm still getting premonitions, so I need you to come down! An innocent needs your help!"

White and blue lights descended, rapidly, in front of Phoebe and she stepped back, slightly, as Leo materialized in front of her.

"What is it, Phoebe?" Leo asked tiredly.

"About time! I've had a premonition," came Phoebe's response. The wind swept her medium-length, black hair in front of her face, and she shoved it back angrily.

"Have you told Prue or Paige about it?" Leo replied.

Phoebe huffed. "You know I can't. I can't go to the manor again, and I don't know how to find Paige even if I wanted to."

"You can call her, like you would any White-Lighter," Leo said.

Phoebe shook her head. "Just listen, and go help. I figure you're probably Paige's white-lighter, right? So, maybe you can get her to help with this! Someone's killing witches, in a ritualistic way. All members of the same coven, all being killed by an Athame. Women are dying, surely you and Paige and Prue want to help with that?"

"You can't keep bringing me cases, or innocents, Phoebe. You chose Cole, over your sisters. You chose evil, instead of good, instead of the Power of Three. You chose not to support Prue or get to know Paige. I can't keep coming down to help you," Leo said softly.

"I didn't chose evil, Leo. I chose love. I love him. The Source wanted a deal, to turn back time, and the only way was if I joined Cole in the underworld. I chose to save at least one of my sisters. I can't go back now. I can't undo the deal I made. And Prue doesn't want me to anyway!" Phoebe replied, a bit desperately.

"At what cost!?" Leo asked.

Phoebe stared at him for several moments and then shrugged. "Cole is the love of my life. I couldn't let him go on believing I had stopped loving him, or given up on him. He needed me. The Source would have killed us both. I need him. I love him, whether or not he's good. It was time I accepted that. Prue was _never_ going to accept him. I did what I had to do."

Leo shook his head. "I'll take your information to Paige, and I'll check in on Prue. But, you can't keep contacting me. It isn't right."

"I haven't done any dark magic. I haven't given in to evil," Phoebe argued.

Leo held up a hand. "It doesn't matter. You sided with Cole. I like Cole, don't get me wrong...but he's half-demon, Phoebe and...by taking his side, living with him, marrying him...you've taken evil into your heart, and you've given up on being a Charmed One. You're lucky your premonition-magic even still works."

"Well, the fact that it does, proves something, doesn't it?" Phoebe asked. She didn't mention the new power she'd gained -- or that it frightened her to have the power from when they'd gone to the future.

"How did you get here?" Leo answered evasively.

Phoebe sighed. "I shimmered."

"That's dark magic, right there," Leo responded.

"I married him in a dark ritual, Leo. I have access to his non-lethal powers because of it."

Leo shook his head. "It's wrong. Don't contact me, or the Elders, again. You've lost your right to a White-Lighter."

He orbed away, leaving her standing, alone, on top of the bridge.

***

Prue tucked her short, cropped, blonde locks, with their streaks of black and red, behind her ears again as she leaned over the cauldron.

Her new potions laboratory was set up to her exacting specifications in half of the attic. The other half was a dedicated Yoga and Meditation space. The basement now accommodated her dark-room and an extensive, padded training and exercise room.

Phoebe's old room was, simply, a guest room now. Furnished with things from the attic, it also housed the knick-knacks and things passed down from generations. The very smallest bedroom, which had mostly been storage space over the last three years, was the new ritual space and where Prue kept the _Book of Shadows_. She'd left Piper and Leo's room (the master-bedroom) alone -- and didn't intend to mess with it. The garage out back had been cleaned and stored Piper's car.

The kitchen was the same, only now it no longer stored potions ingredients -- because they were all up here. A large cabinet against one of the walls held all the dry goods, and a new refrigerator (after having reinforced the floor) held any perishable ingredients or plant material. She still didn't eat much, but at least now when she had someone over she just locked the three doors (attic, ritual room, basement) and didn't have to worry about some unsuspecting mortal stumbling onto a fridge full of magic stuff.

She added a dash of cinnamon to the already powerful potion she was making, stirred deiseil and stepped back. Tapping her fingers against her chin, she contemplated what else would boost the power of the explosion potion she'd just made.

Prue nodded to herself and dropped in some powdered Dragon's Blood. While not actually blood from a real Dragon, it was the hard resin from several species of palm tree and was an extremely powerful magical herb that could be used to boost the strength or power of any potion, elixir or spell. She stirred again and then lowered the heat on the little burner. The counter space was granite, and the floor was covered in a fire-resistant stone.

Yes, she'd used magic to make some of these improvements, or she'd used magic to make the money to buy some of it, but that didn't bother her. Personal gain and using magic to punish people had long-since been a line she'd crossed -- after they'd saved Paige, after Piper's funeral. She still saved innocents and that was all that mattered to her, now.

She placed the lid on the cauldron and went to the little sink to wash her hands and face.

After drying off, she headed down the stairs.

In the living room, she settled onto the couch. With a flick of her hand, she moved the fire-poker to stoke up the flames again. The room was freezing.

She was just about to get up and make herself a pot of coffee when Leo orbed in.

"Prue," he said gently.

Prue rolled her eyes. "I've told you, I don't want you orbing in. That's what the front door is for, Leo." She wasn't really annoyed, and it showed. She was glad to see him.

"Phoebe's had a premonition," he began.

Prue rose quickly. "I don't want to hear about it. I have work to do. Demons to vanquish, innocents to save, magic to learn and a photo-shoot tomorrow."

"Someone's killing witches," came Leo's reply. "All in the same coven. I"m going to go talk to Paige about it, but I wanted you to know first...and I wanted to see how you're doing."

"I'm fine." Prue crossed her arms over her chest. "Just fine. I'm working on an explosion potion, and I have a shoot tomorrow. There's no need to worry about me."

"You're using magic carelessly, recklessly. There's every need to worry about you, Prue. You've lost your way," Leo said quietly.

The sound Prue made was somewhere between a growl and some kind of exclamation. "Magic couldn't bring Piper back. We all lost our way when we lost our sister. I'm not going back to that -- to being powerless. I'm what's powerful now. Demons fear me, and what I might do. I'm not going back. I still save innocents, I still use the _Book_ , I still have my powers. I have finally learned to use my magic while astral-projecting. I'm good."

Leo sighed, but didn't argue. "I'm going to go. Someone needs to tell Paige what's happening. You should reach out to her, she is your sister, you know," he said as he orbed away.

Prue glared at the empty space where Leo had been and shook her head. She had no intention of reconstituting the Charmed Ones, thank you very much.

***

Paige hummed a little as she closed the front-door behind her. She waved at the kid standing at the picture-window looking out at her and he waved back. Her first post-adoption inspection as a Social Worker had gone really well, and now she just had to go back to the office and finish her paperwork.

She closed her eyes and cast her senses for a moment, to be sure there was no one in her office. Paige ducked around the side of the house and, under cover of some bushes, she orbed away.

In her small, windowless office, surrounded by various magical plants, she settled down at her desk and took out her notes from the appointment.

Fully absorbed in her work, she didn't notice when Leo orbed in until he spoke.

"Paige," Leo said softly.

Paige jumped. Her long, red hair bounced gently as she stood. "Leo!" she exclaimed.

Leo gave a short laugh and then nodded. "I'm here on business, but it is good to see you."

"A new charge?" Paige asked, rather excitedly.

Leo shook his head. "No, not yet. Is there anything you want to report though?"

"It's witch business, then?" Paige replied before sitting back down and gesturing to the seat in front of her desk.

Leo sat down with a sigh. "Yes. Someone's killing witches with an athame. All witches in the same coven," he explained.

Paige nodded. "I'll get into it, then. And no, nothing to report. Tyler's doing fine, happy in his new home, and happy to have his powers bound. Elisa is also doing well, no longer in immediate danger and she checks in regularly. And I have _finally_ gotten Stan to listen to me about his gift, and to start doing some work with me on it."

"That sounds great, Paige," Leo said.

Paige smiled. "Anything else I need to know about this witch killer?"

When Leo just shrugged, Paige's brow furrowed. "The Elders don't know anything else?"

Leo sighed. "This didn't come from the Elders."

"Oh." Paige looked back down at her keyboard. "Did...did Phoebe know anything else then?"

Leo shook his head. "Her visions aren't usually long. I told her she needed to stop coming to me with them, though."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that, Leo," Paige replied. "At least when she's telling you, we know. We get the warning. And, at least she's using good magic."

"I know, Paige. But, the Elders are very clear about it. She's lost her right to a White-Lighter. I need to stop responding when she calls. It's just..." he trailed off.

"Piper would want you to help her?" Paige asked. She was still unclear as to what had happened, exactly, and she had no knowledge of what Piper would or wouldn't want -- aside from what she'd learned from Leo and what she'd gathered from her three meetings with Prue and Phoebe.

Leo nodded. "She wouldn't want me to just...abandon them." He looked up. His eyes were miserable. "They're my family too."

It was Paige's turn to nod. "Well, then...the answer is kind of clear, isn't it? Keep responding when Phoebe calls. Keep trying to reach out to Prue. Maybe...maybe you'll get your family back."

Leo stood. "In the meantime..."

Paige smiled, a little sadly this time. "I'll see what I can find about the killings. Detective Morris will help me, as much as he can. He's been very nice, very accommodating."

When Leo orbed away, Paige went back to her paperwork. When she was finished, she would go do some work with her charges, get a bite to eat and then go home to work on the new case -- someone was killing witches.

*******************

TBC


	2. Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prue talks with Darryl.  
> We see what Phoebe is up to on a regular basis.
> 
> Short chapter.
> 
> LOL, yeah, I'm stealing the concept of Floo and Floo powder from HP and J.K.R.

"Don't worry so much about it, Darryl!" Prue argued, interrupting Darryl's rather successful tirade against what she'd done.

Darryl blinked slowly. "Don't worry? I have to worry, Prue!"

Prue shrugged. "You don't have to worry. I used an extremely powerful potion and I had Paige and Phoebe there to back me up with, well...with the power of three. It's done. Sykes powers are frozen -- bound. He can't access them ever again, not unless all three of us die or we unbind them."

Darryl sighed. "Alright. Just...I....thank you, for letting me close the case. Next time, just...vanquish the demon. I'll handle it. I don't need you putting in people I can arrest. It's dangerous."

"Putting in people he can arrest?" Paige squeaked.

Prue glared at Darryl for a moment before turning to Paige and addressing her question. "I don't want Darryl to get into trouble, I don't want magic to get exposed, and I want my involvement, or in this case, our involvement to go unnoticed. So, when I can, I've been...substituting criminals for demons -- leaving evidence and memories and a person so that the case can get closed."

"What? We can do that?" Paige asked.

"No, of course not. It's completely gray magic. Some of it's dark -- memory altering and memory wiping, when not done by memory-dust, used by a White Lighter, is absolutely against the rules. But, this way....the police department knows I'm Darryl's CI and nothing more. He gets to arrest a bad guy, the case gets closed, and no one else gets hurt," Prue explained.

Paige understood the logic behind such a plan, but she also felt very worried. "But...where are you finding the 'criminals' to put in the demon's place?" 

"I scry for specific types of evil. Killers, rapists, things like that. It's fine. Evil is being locked up, as it should be. It's not harming anyone, and I'm saving people."

"Phoebe said...that we don't use magic to punish the guilty...and that you three, you and Phoebe and Piper...learned that the hard way," Paige said.

Prue nodded. "And that kind of thinking got Piper killed. So." She stood. "Thanks for having me over, and I'll be at the manor if you need me." 

As Prue's astral-self faded away, Paige turned to Darryl.

"It's wrong, what she's doing, isn't it?" she asked.

Darryl nodded and then sighed. "Yes. But...she has a point. She's way off-book, obviously. And, I'm worried about her. But, there's nothing I can do about it and I'm not a mind reader. Before I even realize it's a Prue-case, I've arrested the guy -- and it's all been really convincing evidence and they've gone through the justice system." He shrugged. "She's gotten really good at the magic...she's dangerous now."

Paige led him out the front-door and then headed into her bathroom. She wanted to make it to work on time -- she was getting a new client today, a kid from a pretty hard situation and she was going to find them a safe place to live.

She couldn't bring Piper back. She couldn't mend things between Prue and Phoebe. She couldn't be close with either of her sisters. The _Book_ would come to her only if Prue went really dark. She couldn't save Prue from herself.

Paige was good at only one thing -- focusing on her clients and her charges. She was going to help Helena and find her a safe place to live, and get her settled. Then, she'd check in on her charges. Tyler had something he wanted to talk to her about. She'd help her people, if she did nothing else well today.

***

The house stood on a hill. That wasn't unusual for San Francisco, but this was, in fact, a subdivision of the Underworld and they weren't actually topside, so it was a bit odd, to say the least.

It was a small house, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, and a basement. The basement held the potions lab, a training room, and Cole's small office -- where he often met with other demons (of various levels and powers). 

Phoebe was relieved that the people he met with weren't allowed in the house -- they were commanded to keep to the basement, and they obeyed Cole without question. The dining room was her domain --it had been converted into an office and meeting space. Her guests, dark witches and other beings of dark magic, also never ventured out into her home per her request, and they knew the consequences for disobeying.

She'd managed to maintain her topside life even after her marriage, and after she'd accepted her other duties. Cole was, for lack of a better term, the Governor of this area of the Underworld -- making her kind of the First Lady. They both answered to the Source on a semi-regular basis, a fact which still made Phoebe's skin crawl, but for the most part, as long as their state was productive and running smoothly, he left them alone.

Phoebe had done a lot to save innocents when they'd first gotten married and in the first few months after Piper had died. Since then, though, it had gotten harder to justify it. She couldn't keep saving people on one hand when she was keeping the Source updated, via email, on the other. And, at this point, she'd fulfilled her destiny as a Charmed One and it was time to move on.

After saving a young columnist, she'd begun ghost-writing a column for the Bay Mirror. She liked the work, and it kept her tied to the mortal world. It also had the benefit of her having to go topside at least once a month for staff meetings. The world still thought Karen Young was giving advice, but Phoebe was pretty okay with that.

Sometimes, she still went topside to help Prue and Paige, but that was happening less and less. She was getting premonitions still, but now, well...she emailed Paige about them and then put them out of her mind.

Phoebe turned her attention to her next meeting. "Aliah, it'll be okay," she said soothingly.

Aliah shook her head. "I love my home, my Lady. I don't want to keep moving because Casis might find me. It's been three hundred years, surely he could move on by now?"

"Casis will not be a problem any longer. Stay where you are. I'm sure Queen Villdaya doesn't want you moving on either," Phoebe replied. 

Aliah nodded. Her striking features and extremely long, black hair were not at all unusual for her kind. As a dark fae, it was her eyes -- with their piercing green -- that made her unique and a valued concubine of the Dark Fae Queen. Casis was a long-ago lover of Aliah's, and he'd been following her, stalking her, for centuries.

"Forgive me, my Lady, but the previous administration was not at all interested in my problems," Aliah said as she bowed her head.

"My lord and I care. I care. The previous administration didn't have the motivation or skill to deal with things as your Lord and I have done. I will be speaking to Casis personally, and I will resolve this matter. Tonight. I don't want anyone in my Lord's kingdom to have to endure what you have gone through for three hundred years. Your Lord understands that, just as he understands me and my role and my mission. Please take this to Queen Villdaya," Phoebe explained as she handed Aliah a rolled sheaf of parchment. "It outlines my plan as well as what we intend, going forward, in an alliance with the Dark Fae."

Aliah nodded and bowed over their clapsed hands before taking the parchment. "And the other grievances we've spoken of?"

"All will be mended, Aliah," Phoebe replied.

They spoke for a few more minutes, and then Aliah left.

Phoebe saved her files, sent off this week's column in an email to Elise, and then closed down her office. She activated the runes on the door that led to the outside, which would lock it down from anyone getting in. She cast the protection spells on the door that led into the kitchen on her way out.

She actually enjoyed meeting with the various clans and dark witches under Cole's purview, but sometimes...it tired her out. The formal way of speaking, the formal dress, the ritual and real fussiness of it all.

Cole was waiting for her in their living room.

"Wife," he said with a smile.

Phoebe grinned. "Husband," she replied.

He swooped her up into his arms and kissed her, hard, on the mouth.

"Mmmmmm," Phoebe said as he dropped her back on the floor. "I love those greetings."

Cole's eyes lit with a smile before his lips curved. "I know," he replied.

Phoebe grinned at him again and then slipped out of her shoes. Her feet couldn't be heard at all as she padded across the plush-carpet of their living room floor and slid onto the sofa. 

"What's on the agenda for tonight?" Cole asked as he sat beside her and lifted her feet into his lap.

"Ugh, not using the word 'agenda,' I hope," Phoebe said teasingly.

"Want to get dolled up and go topside for dinner?"

Phoebe shook her head. "I'm tired. Let's just get dumplings from Wan's. You like it, right?"

"I like anything that means we don't have to go anywhere," Cole said softly.

"Sounds good. Soup too, though, okay? And where are we at in our Buffy re-watch?" Phoebe asked as Cole rose and went to the fireplace.

"We just finished Season Two," Cole replied as he threw a pinch of green powder into the flames. "Wan's, placing an order for delivery!" he shouted into the flames once they'd turned green.

After a few seconds, a voice answered back. "Order for immediate delivery or future delivery?" asked the voice.

As Cole placed their order, Phoebe wandered over to the cabinet that held their DVD collection. She pulled out the volume of Season Three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and took out the first disc.

She liked these nights best -- where they ate dinner and then cuddled on the couch, watching TV shows or films, and spent real quality time together. Nights where even more work didn't interrupt. Nights where she knew they'd end up the place they both liked best -- in bed, naked, under the covers, while the candlelight flickered softly around them and neither of them were worried about a thing.

Phoebe liked their life together. She loved being married to Cole, and she loved their home. She loved him.

She still missed her sisters, every single day.

*****************

TBC


End file.
